Era of US military presence in region ending: IRGC deputy commander

The IRGC deputy commander for political affairs, Brigadier General Yadollah Javani, said in an interview with Tasnim News Agency in Tehran on Monday that what the US is doing under the guise of “military exercises to enhance security in the Persian Gulf and assisting its allies,” is, in fact, part of efforts aimed at consolidating its presence in the region.

“It is apparent that the era for the presence of the Americans [in the region] is coming to an end,” Javani said, adding, “Holding of such drills cannot lead to their continued presence in the region. The Americans are in a situation under which longer presence in the region would be to their detriment, because the regional countries despise the Americans and this awakening of the nations has caused the Americans to lose the position they once held in this region.”

The IRGC official went on to say that, “The Islamic Republic is now an established regional power and is turning into a global one. Today, the United States no longer has the power it once possessed, and is unable to achieve what it wants, but Iran can achieve its goals in accordance with international law both in the region and beyond.”

Stressing that the major cause of insecurity in the region is the presence of foreigners and Americans, Javani said, “If they are after stability in the region, the main solution is for the Americans to leave the region. If the Americans leave the region, the regional countries will be able to establish sustainable security through synergism, because security benefits all the regional countries and the Americans avail themselves of instability in the region.”

The United States has been stoking tensions with Iran since May 2018 when President Donald Trump pulled his country out of the nuclear accord, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and re-imposed harsh sanctions against the Islamic Republic in defiance of global criticisms.

The tensions saw a sharp rise on the first anniversary of Washington’s exit from the deal as the US moved to ratchet up the pressure on Iran by tightening its oil sanctions and building up its military presence in the region.

Washington has since then ratcheted up the pressure on the Islamic Republic, sending military reinforcements, including aircraft carrier strike groups, bombers, and a battery of patriot missiles, to the Middle East.

Tehran has repeatedly announced that it would not be the initiator of any war, but reserves the right to self-defense and will give a crushing response to any act of aggression.